Ex–RivCo Officer Pleads Not Guilty In Alleged Excessive Force Case

INDIO, CA — A former Desert Hot Springs police officer accused of using excessive force against two teenage boys during arrests tied to a reported burglary at Desert Hot Springs High School pleaded not guilty Friday to multiple felony charges.

Johnny Acosta, 30, entered the pleas during his arraignment before Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Evans, who set a felony settlement conference for Jan. 22 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Acosta is free on a $30,000 bond.

Acosta was arrested last month following a yearlong investigation conducted by the Riverside County Force Investigations Detail Task Force. He is charged with assault with a gun, assault by a peace officer and filing a false report, all felonies.

According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, shortly before 2 a.m. on Nov. 8, 2024, Desert Hot Springs police officers were dispatched to Desert Hot Springs High School, located at 65850 Pierson Boulevard, to investigate a possible burglary. When officers arrived, four male suspects fled the area, prosecutors said.

Acosta, who was a Desert Hot Springs police officer at the time, pursued two of the suspects, both 17 years old. Investigators allege that Acosta used excessive force during both pursuits. The teens were ultimately taken into custody without incident, and authorities said neither required hospitalization.

In earlier reporting, law enforcement agencies said one suspect was apprehended first and that “a use-of-force incident occurred.” Officers later located a second suspect, during whose arrest “an additional use-of-force incident took place during that arrest.”

Specific details regarding Acosta’s actions were not disclosed, and authorities have not indicated whether any damage occurred to the campus during the alleged burglary.

Following the incident, Acosta was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 8, 2024. An internal investigation by the Desert Hot Springs Police Department, along with an independent probe conducted by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at the agency’s request, was later forwarded to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Acosta was fired from the department on March 27, 2025.

Acosta was arrested without incident by investigators from the District Attorney’s Office on Nov. 7, 2025, and quickly posted bail. He remains out of custody pending further court proceedings.

City News Service and Patch editor Toni McAllister contributed to this report.